Punched-up Pasta

When my husband and I cook, we try to add in some "healthy extras" whenever we can.  For the sake of our girls (who hesitate to eat anything green), and for the sake of our own health as well.  Sometimes it is as simple as sprinkling some ground flax seed on our oatmeal or adding a few tablespoons of wheat germ in with the flour when making brownies or cookies.

And sometimes it is as simple as this pasta.

We started with the "Piccolini" pasta made by Barilla:

It's this cute little pasta - just the right size for little mouths (my daughters', not mine).  And - bonus - they have some that is made with veggies cooked into  the pasta, so it has a serving of veggies right from the start.

Then, we browned some very lean (93/7) ground beef with about half an onion and a green bell pepper (both diced small) and a big spoonful of  minced garlic.  Add that to your favorite bottled pasta sauce (we like Target's Archer Farms brand), and then stir in a half a can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, just the pumpkin), about 2 cups of frozen corn, and a can of diced tomatoes.  Add about a 1/2 tsp. or so of Italian seasoning and let simmer for just a couple minutes to get everything cooked/heated through. 

Mix it all together and --- voila a quick and healthy dinner.  Serve with cottage cheese on the side and you've got all your food groups covered!